How to Hand-Tame a Cockatiel
- 1). Give the bird time to adjust to new surroundings. When you first bring the bird home, it'll need time to get used to new sights, sounds, smells and schedules. Leave it in its cage for at least the first few days, but talk to it and let it become accustomed to your voice, and the voice(s) of anyone else living with you. Setting the cage up in a high-traffic area will make this more effective and allow your bird to feel as though it's part of the daily routine.
- 2). Reach into the cockatiel's cage. This should be done in a calm, nonthreatening manner. Don't make any sudden movements; just allow it to accept the presence of your hand. Once your bird seems calm and relaxed, move your hand around at the bottom of the cage. If the bird has been hand-raised or worked with previously, it may be completely comfortable with your hand; if not, it may take several days to acclimate it.
- 3). Without wiggling too much, move your hand closer to your bird. If it becomes upset, pause and wait for it to calm down. Hold your hand in front of the bird and allow it to explore it if it wants to. Your cockatiel may be immediately accepting of your hand, or it may take several attempts made over a couple of hours -- or even days -- to get it comfortable enough to remain calm.
- 4). Hold one finger out in front of the bird. By this time, it should be accepting of your hand in the cage and remain in the same place as you hold out your finger.
- 5). Press your finger against your cockatiel's chest. The desired reaction from the bird is that it steps up onto your finger; it'll do this to keep its balance if it's calm. If it's frightened, it'll flee. If it does, give the bird a short break and try again until you get the desired result. Giving the bird enough time to get used to your hand (as in Steps 2 to 4) will make this much easier.
- 6). Take your hand -- and the cockatiel -- out of the cage. This can take more than one try; some birds will be extremely reluctant to leave their cages. Keep it out of the cage for only brief periods of time; gradually extend these periods. Once it's accustomed to being outside the cage -- and knowing that it'll always be able to go back in -- you can start teaching it other tricks.
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